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After an exciting leg of action in Europe, badminton players and fans have now shifted their attention to Asia for the Japan Masters 2023. The event, which is a Super 500, has only four Indian participants, and of those only Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were on court today.
Rankireddy and Shetty entered the tournament as the top seeds despite having lost their world number-one tag. The Asian Games gold medalists were facing Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han of Chinese Taipei for their first match. While many expected this to be an easy win for the Indians, things didn't work out as planned.
The match started out as anticipated. While the Taiwanese did get a small early lead, Satwik and Chirag were quick to catch up, heading into the interval a few points ahead. From there, they continued their form to seal the first game 21-16.
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The second set began as a much more intense affair, with both the pairs constantly within a couple of points of each other. It was here that Lu and Yang truly impressed, keeping their cool to force a decider at the Japan Masters with a score of 21-18.
The third game saw the Indians and the Taiwanese battle for dominance. After a tight-knit first half, it was Lu and Yang, the current world number 21, who leaped ahead to a 21-16 victory, to seal their pre-quarterfinal spot at the Japan Masters.
2023 Japan Masters: Results at the end of day one (Indians Only)
Men's Doubles
Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han (Chinese Taipei) beat Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (India) 16-21, 21-18, 21-16
With Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty out of the running for a podium finish at the Japan Masters, only three Indians are left in contention at the event. Men's singles stars Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy will take to the court in the upcoming days alongside young gun Priyanshu Rajawat.
This will mark HS Prannoy's comeback to court after he was forced to withdraw from Denmark and France due to a back injury. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen will be looking to make up for the disappointing loss he faced at the French Open.
